


The Bet

by uforock



Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Major Character Resurrection, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-29 12:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uforock/pseuds/uforock
Summary: Gary realizes that hey, if he could save Avocato, why not save his dad too? Unfortunately, John jumps to a few... conclusions about his and Avocato's relationship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i went into this thinking it was gonna be another oneshot. boy was i fucking wrong

Getting John back was one of the biggest strokes of genius Gary had ever had. Sure, it was a little weird having his dad back after all this time. But hey.

He had gotten rid of KVN, in the process. So, win win all around! He had his whole family on-board the ship!

John had been in the medical bay for a few days now, recovering from the effects of the anti-matter bomb. He hadn’t woken up yet, and Gary was terrified that he might have lost his memory too… or worse.

What if he didn’t wake up at all?

Gary stayed in the medical bay the entire time. The rest of the crew took turns bringing in food for him, making sure he slept, had water. 

Ash took the first shift. She piled around 20 cookies up on the edge of the plate with the rest of the food, balancing the entire plate carefully as she knocked on the door.

“Hey, Gary! You still alive in there? It’s been three days! That’s how long humans are supposed to be able to go without food before they  _ diiiie _ ! Tell me you didn’t die before I could harvest your heart!”

“Mmm- I’m up- please don’t harvest me! Oh, jeez- has it really been that long…? Oh- are those cookies? You brought cookies?”

Ash nodded as fast as she could, her hair flying everywhere. “Mhmm!!!!!! Catch!” 

She threw a cookie at him and it sailed past his shoulder, knocking against the wall and falling apart. 

“ _ NOOOO…. _ ” They both cried in unison.

Ash bounced in place. “HERE, catch THIS one!”

She threw another cookie and Gary jumped for it, catching the sweet treat in his mouth and collapsing on the ground.

They both cheered, Ash floating a few inches off the ground and clapping with the energy that only she could have. Gary found himself smiling again as he ate his cookie.

Ash lowered herself back to the ground, her hair falling back into place. She brought the rest of the food over, sitting down on the floor next to him and pushing the plate in front of him.

“Eat.”

Gary looked at the plate and frowned. “I… I’m not hungry.”

Ash just stared at him. “Did I ask if you were hungry?”

He frowned harder. “N-”

And suddenly there was a fork in his mouth. He coughed, swallowing the food. It felt all wrong in his mouth, but he took the fork from her hand, forcing himself to eat anyway.

“There we go, great job! If you don’t eat, you won’t live to see him wake up anyway!”

Gary nodded. “I… Guess! God, that’s morbid.”

She shrugged and ate another cookie. “What’s he like?”

“My dad?”

She nodded, gesturing to the man in the glass tube, wires and tubes in his body.

“He’s the coolest guy in the universe,” Gary said with a spaced out smile. “He’s gonna love you guys, all of you.” 

Ash blinked, like she hadn’t even registered that. “...Do you really think so?”

“Well, yeah! You’re a little weird, but it’s part of your charm! Besides, you remind me of myself when I was your age. Just- unhinged, probably likes dirt.”

“I  _ do  _ like dirt,” she grinned.

The second shift was Little Cato, who dropped in a few hours later because Ash had never come back from checking on Gary.

“Gary? Ash didn’t harvest your organs, right?”

There was laughing coming from further in, and he peeked around the corner to see Gary, one foot on a chair and the other on the floor, lost in a story.

“So, he- he says to my teacher, to her  _ face _ , he says ‘well, it’s not my fault that my son is smarter than you!’”

Ash laughed and clapped, turning back and patting the ground next to her for Little Cato to sit on.

“What’s he doing?”

“Telling stories about his dad.”

“ _ Ohh _ . Can I listen?”

Ash nodded and rested her head on Little Cato’s lap while Gary went on, telling tales of the amazing John Goodspeed, as person after person filed into the room. Something about the way he told stories just… brought people in. 

Avocato came in to check on Little Cato, and Gary didn’t even notice him, just… continuing with his tale with so much excitement and glee you’d think he was telling a story he experienced himself. Avocato loved how animated and happy he was, finally distracted from the agony of waiting and waiting and waiting.

Quinn was  _ especially _ interested in the man that had so much status as a member of the Infinity Guard, and who she knew would drop all loyalties in a heartbeat if it meant protecting his son. She knew all about his adventures, about his scientific breakthroughs, but she didn’t know him as Gary’s dad. That was a side of the man only Gary knew, and he happily poured his heart out to them about it.

Everyone except Clarence had gathered around Gary as he spoke, with Little Cato, Fox, and Ash all leaning on Avocato while they listened.

Then there was a beep, and Gary froze, trailing off while an expression of shocked recognition fell over his features.

Another beep.

“Holy crap.”

Another beep.

“Gary, what is that?”

“He’s waking up. Oh, oh my crap, oh, it’s happening.”

Quinn stood up. “Everyone take some steps back, he’s gonna be overwhelmed.”

They listened. A hush fell over the group of them as the glass around him came off with a  _ pop _ and a  _ hiss _ as the pressure keeping his breathing regulated was broken. 

He took breaths on his own accord as he sat up, rubbing his head and squinting at the mismatched group of people standing in the room with him, and…

At his own son, much older, much more exhausted. 

“Gnh… Gary…?”

Gary broke into tears and rushed forward, wrapping his arms around him again. 

“Dad…”

“How am I-”

“Shh, just… shh… it doesn’t matter right now, just… it’s okay. You’re okay.”

“Where the hell did everyone- oh,” Clarence interrupted. “Am I interrupting something?”

Everyone groaned. 

“Dude, they were having a  _ moment _ there!”

“Dad! Shut up!”

Fox merely sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Such a special reunion…”

Gary turned around. “You are all  _ RUINING _ my  _ HEARTFELT MOMENT. _ I was having a TOUCHING INTERACTION with my dad and you RUINED IT.”

John put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. “Nah, they’re fine. Why don’t you introduce me to your friends?”

“Well,” Gary put his own hand over his dad’s. “They’re more like… family, now. Except  _ him,”  _ he pointed at Clarence, who gasped like he had been gravely offended. “He can shove it.”

“Excuse  _ you _ , I happen to own this ship!”

“You can’t even fly it!”

John laughed and everyone snapped to attention. “Hey, it’s fine! Can we get some food in here, though? I feel like I haven’t eaten in days.”

“You haven’t! My name’s Ash,” she held out her hand. He shook it and she looked up at him. 

“I’m John, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, Ash! Loving the hair.”

She grinned and made a happy humming noise. “You’re a  _ lot  _ cooler than Gary’s mom.”

John’s smile grew hollow. “You’ve met Sheryl?”

Gary grabbed him by the shoulders, moving him through the crowd to a slightly panicked Little Cato. “Let’s not focus on that, and instead focus on this!”

“Gary, I dunno if-”

John crouched down and got a better look at the kid, his expression growing more genuine. “You look fun. What’s your name, kiddo?”

“Uh- Little Cato. Sir.”

John ruffled his mohawk and gave him a look. “Enough with the  _ sir _ business, any friend of Gary’s is a friend of mine!”

Gary tapped his foot on the ground. “Well, dad, there’s something I wanted to mention about that, actually!”

John looked up. “Yeah?”

“...Okay. Here goes. Uh… Little Cato, do you wanna tell him?”

“Nope, your call.”

“Please?”

“He’s your dad!”

“He’s  _ your _ grandpa!”

“I’m a grandpa?”

All three of them froze. 

“Um. Yeah! Surprise! This is… my adopted son, Little Cato. Your grandson.”

John’s eyes sparkled. “I have a  _ grandson _ ?”

“Yeah. Uh… hi!” Little Cato waved before John scooped him up in his arms, spinning him around. “Jeez, now I really can’t have you going on with all that  _ sir _ nonsense, then! Call me Grandpa Goodspeed!”

Little Cato froze in shock for a moment before laughing and hugging him back, purring in delight. 

Gary watched the exchange, heart full of warmth he hadn’t felt in a while, until he noticed Avocato standing nervously against the wall, ears twitching. He had been… a little shocked to find out that Gary had adopted Little Cato while he was gone, but Little Cato had stayed firm on the matter that he preferred having two dads in his life. They had just… never brought it up after that. 

Nothing weird about a guy adopting his best friend’s kid. 

He motioned Avocato over, and Avocato awkwardly detached himself from the wall, going to stand next to Gary. Gary intertwined their fingers, squeezing, letting him know this was okay. Everything was okay.

John turned to look at him, pulling Little Cato up to sit perched on his shoulder. “Ah,” he started, “You must be the lucky fella!”

Gary and Avocato both froze.

“Uh-”

“Um-”

John had already slung an arm around Avocato’s shoulder, looking down at their intertwined fingers.

“Trust me, I know my boy’s type. Tough, cool, too smart for their own good. Probably gets into a lotta trouble. Runs in the family!”

Gary’s face went red and Little Cato covered his mouth to keep from laughing. “Uh, dad-”

“Don’t worry, you’ve got my blessing.”

Gary laughed, running a hand through his hair, everything short of panicking. “Haha yeah what a crazy coincidence considering we aren’t dating!”

John blanked. “Well, I figured if you’ve got a kid together already, you’re probably well past that-”

Gary’s eyes got even wider.  _ “Dad-” _

“It’s alright if you don’t wanna put a label on it yet, son, I understand. It can be hard to find a minister out in space anyway-”

“Oh, my  _ god. _ ”

“But if you ever do wanna tie the knot officially, I know a guy, yeah? Now, where the hell is the commissary around here? I smell cookies. Say, kid, how old are you?”

“Fourteen years old!”

“Then I’ve got fourteen years of spoiling my grandkid to make up for!”

And with that, he left, ducking under the doorframe so that Little Cato didn’t hit his head.

“Have fun honeymooning, dads,” Little Cato laughed. The others followed behind him, asking questions, clearly interested in the new member of their crew.

Avocato had his face covered, clearly blushing up a storm. 

“So… that happened,” Gary muttered. Their hands were still locked together.

“Yeah.”

“Why, uh, why didn’t you… correct him?”

“Why didn’t  _ you _ correct him?”

Gary blushed harder. “B-because. You. I tried!”

Avocato laughed, genuine, uncontrollable. “Am I really your  _ type _ , Gary?”

Gary made a nervous sound, voice cracking. “Don’t- don’t ask me that, man, come on.”

“You have a history of going after bad boys? And to think I thought you liked me for my soft side.”

“Stoooooop, don’t make fun of me, I just had to bring my dad back from the dead and you’re making fun of me!”

“What kind of cake were you thinking for the wedding?”

“ _ Avocato! _ ”

They both laughed, Gary leaning his head on Avocato’s shoulder.

“So who’s gonna tell him we aren’t together, then?”

Gary frowned. 

“What if we just… didn’t tell him?”

Avocato’s ear twitched. “Wanna make a bet about it?”

“Oh, a wager between bros?”

“200 credits says I can get him to figure it out in less than a week.”

Gary hummed. “So, by the 8th day, if he still thinks we’re star crossed lovers, I’ll be 200 credits richer. The rules are that you can’t outright deny us being in a relationship, and you can’t stage a fake breakup.”

“Hm. Seems simple enough. It’s a deal,” he said with a smirk, letting go of Gary’s hand to shake it properly.

“It’s a deal.”


	2. Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we go gamers. into the MEAT of it now.

In all honesty, Avocato had forgotten about the bet by the time he woke up the following day. He had gone to bed that night, gotten up, showered, gone into the commissary for breakfast. Just like any other day.

Gary was the last one awake. Everyone else was wandering around the ship, going about their business. Getting dressed, or eating, or working on whatever they felt was important.

Then Gary sat next to him, setting his cereal bowl on the table. There was a hand on Avocato’s cheek, and he tilted his head, Gary leaned in and pressed his lips against Avocato’s. 

Avocato dropped his fork. Suddenly it was all he could do to focus on not kissing Gary back, no matter how _ right _it felt. Just as he was about to break, Gary pulled away, keeping that hand cupping his cheek.

“Mornin’ babe. You sleep alright?”

Avocato’s head was spinning. Maybe he’d bitten off more than he could chew here. He picked his fork back up, trying as hard as he could to act casual. John didn’t think much of the interaction, apparently more concerned with the new jacket Tribore had made for him. Avocato sighed in relief, resting his head on one hand.

Gary sat just close enough that Avocato could feel their knees knock together under the table, their elbows brushing as he went to take a bite of his breakfast. 

“Uh. Yeah,” Avocato cleared his throat. “I slept fine, Gary.”

Gary paused at the softness in his voice, leaning in close again, whispering so nobody else could hear him. “Was- was that too much? I wanna win, but not if it’s making you, like, upset.”

“Gary, really, it’s…”

Avocato found Gary’s hand in his own, letting Avocato’s fingers curl naturally around his closed fist. 

“...Fine.”

Quinn rolled her eyes from across the table. “How are you two lovebirds doing?”

Gary snickered behind his hand. “Good! Right, darling?”

Avocato deadpanned, pointedly not reacting to the pet name. 

John, overall, seemed a bit preoccupied to notice their antics, but it was enough to send a message to Avocato. Everyone else was in on the bet, and nobody was going to be playing into his hands. Maybe if he just… didn’t react. To anything Gary did. He might manage to tip John off that the whole thing was a scam.

For the bet. For the bet. 200 credits on the line here.

John looked up. “Say, how long did you say you two had been together?”

Avocato paused, looking at Gary. Gary was never very good at lying, there’s no way he’d be able to come up with something so specific on the spot-

“We’ve been together for a little over six months now! We, uh, hadn’t known each other long before we got together, but... “

And Gary squeezed his hands, looking up at him, knocking the wind out of him. 

“I know I made the right choice. I went back in time to save him, like I did with you, and… A few days after he was up and walking again, I shot my shot.”

“Yeah, and we shot each other,” Avocato blurted out before he had time to think it through. John laughed incredulously.

“You _ shot _ each other?”

Gary blushed, crossing his arms. “Well, we were both kind of _ possessed by a demon _ at the time. Doesn’t count.”

“What about when we met? And the very first thing I did was pull a gun on you?”

“...Well…! That wasn’t the _ first _time we met. Chronologically speaking.”

Avocato scrunched his face up, tilting his head. “Yeah, it was?”

“Nope,” Gary shook his head, moving his hands as he spoke. “Before I went back in time to rescue you, we got swallowed by a temporal worm. I met you back when-” he paused, glancing at his dad, anxiety creasing his features. “When you were at your, uh, old job? You didn’t… know it was me. Back then.”

Avocato looked down in thought. The soldier, the one who shook his hand and kept _ insisting _ someone get him a deck of cards, right before he vanished and Lord Commander had him investigated for treason.

Oh, crap.

“Oh,” Avocato breathed. “_ Oh _ .” He cleared his throat, reconciling the two people in his mind and memories. Then, he noticed how vague Gary was being about his job. Did Gary not want John to know about his past? Sure, he had killed a _ lot _of people. Maybe he thought John wouldn’t approve? Hm.

That’s one way to get someone to refuse to believe he’s dating Gary. Why would Gary date a murderer, after all? Yeah. That oughta snap John out of it.

“You mean when I was a general for the Lord Commander? Or when I was a bounty hunter?”

Gary panicked. “Uh-. Yeah. That- the first one.”

“Ouf.” John shook his head. The two of them whipped around to listen to his response to that information, and to their shock, he was still smiling. “Working with Jack? Been there, kid, been there. Can’t say I blame you for goin’ rogue.” His eyes lit up like he realized something. “Well, he actually was working for _ me _ for nearly three decades. That means I outrank you both, yeah? I have the authority to say he can shove it.”

Avocato couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Yeah. Screw that guy.”

Gary got up and stretched. “Well, I’m gonna go take a shower. Love ya,” he said, dropping a kiss onto the side of Avocato’s cheek as he put his dishes in the sink and left the room.

John regarded Avocato as he stared at Gary, hands subconsciously going to touch the place he had kissed. 

“...You really care about him, don’t you?”

Avocato snapped out of his thoughts, yanking his hand away from his face. “I… He’s my best friend.”

John nodded, slow and calculated. “You-... You said you were a bounty hunter?”

He nodded. “Five years. I did it because Lord Commander was holding my kid hostage. I wasn’t able to get him back until I captured Mooncake.”

The human bit the inside of his cheek, staring down into his coffee mug. “Kid, I need you to make me a promise, right here and now.”

Avocato’s tail flicked behind him. “What is it?”

John set his cup down with a _ clink _. He reached across the table, wrapping his hands around Avocato’s and holding on tight. “Promise me you’ll never use my family as a means to an end. That you’ll never betray, hurt, or lie to my family, even if you think it’s the right thing to do. I need you to promise me that.”

Avocato felt more exposed under John’s glare than he ever had in his life. 

“I promise. I’d never hurt Gary. I-...”

He looked around. His throat felt hot, achy. 

“I care about him. I’d never hurt him,” he said, voice not above a whisper.

John squeezed his hands again before pulling back, his gentle fatherly demeanor returning all at once. “That’s all well and good, but I’m not just talking about him.”

“What- what do you mean?”

John just laughed, standing up and circling around behind Avocato. “You’re a part of my family too, now. Don’t be reckless with your own life because you want to protect any of us. Don’t let Gary hurt you for any reason, and don’t forget that we have your back.”

He ruffled the top of Avocato’s head and went to re-fill his coffee. Avocato just… stared blankly at him, the bet leaving his mind because of the severity of the situation. His brain kept replaying the same memory over and over, him throwing himself on the bomb to save Little Cato and Gary and Quinn.

That _ had _ been reckless, and he’d only survived because of a deus ex machina “I… I promise. Did- did Gary tell you how I almost died, or…?”

“Nah, I just know someone with issues when I see them.”

Avocato huffed. John came back, sitting down next to him. “It’s not a bad thing. We’ve all got issues. I see a lot of my younger self in you.”

Avocato looked up at him. “I-... Is that good?”

John wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a half-hug. 

“That’s for you to decide. Just know Gary loves you, Avocato. I can see it in the way he looks at you, even when you’re not looking. You just can’t fake something like that.”

Avocato swallowed a bite of his food. _ That’s what you think _, he told himself bitterly. 

“I guess.”

“And I can see it in the way you look at him, too.”

Oh, crap.

“I- I dunno if-”

He was pulled into a full hug, Johns arms wrapped tightly around him in a way he hadn’t felt since Gary held him the same way before their rescue mission. It brought him back to that moment, all at once. 

Oh, no.

_ Fixing up Gary’s arm- he was pretty sure he had never been more gentle with anyone in his life other than Little Cato. Interlocking their hands, feeling the cool metal constrict around his palm, a promise. A promise for a life together, through anything, good, bad, or in between. He had never trusted anyone that much. Somehow, he just... knew Gary would never hurt him. _

No. No, no.

_ Playing cards together. Stargazing together. Laughing at his jokes, fighting side by side, seeing that exhilarated grin on Gary’s face as they adventured and lived and worked together. Saving the universe. Saving his son. Saving Avocato himself from Invictus, pulling him back from the brink of death time and time again. _

_ Sitting side by side on the couch, Little Cato tucked between them, watching movies together, their hands intertwined. Watching him tell stories of his dad, with dramatic hand motions, so alive. Through all of it, there was a fluttering, warm feeling in Avocato’s chest, like honey dripping down his lungs. _

Crap. _ Crap _.

The memories came back, one by one, all proving to him with an awful, undeniable assurance that, _ yeah _.

He was _ completely _in love with Gary. There was no way he could possibly deny it. 

John pulled back, holding him securely by the shoulders. “Don’t be an idiot, alright? I really like ya. I’d hate to have to shoot you out of an airlock for hurting my boy.”

Avocato laughed nervously, his head still reeling at his realization. Oh, god, he had agreed to pretend to be _ married _ to Gary for the rest of the week. He had to win this stupid bet, fast, before he did something he regretted. 

“I won’t hurt Gary,” he said seriously, before allowing himself to crack a smile. “But I can’t promise anything about not being an idiot.”

John chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. “Then you’re as much of a Goodspeed as any of us. Welcome to the family!”

Avocato really wished that didn’t send a rush of pride and happiness through him, but it did. John liked him? He wanted Avocato to be part of their family? He liked his kid? 

Things were _ safe _ and there was no more danger, but this felt dangerous. He felt like he was signing a contract he hadn’t read the terms and conditions on, but…

It felt worth it.

He pulled John in for a hug himself.

“Thank you.”

John held him close.

“No problem, kid.”

They stayed like that for a few moments longer before they pulled back. 

“Say, you wanna hear some stories about Jack? Nothing like hearing about how I met that guy.”

“Yes,” Avocato grinned. “Absolutely.”

John jumped up, sitting on the table, starting his story with the same dramatic flair that Gary had, and Avocato let himself listen. 

-

Gary had to pay Clarence 20 credits hush money to get him not to call out the entire fake relationship, but he successfully got everyone on the ship to agree to keep quiet about it. He was pretty sure Avocato was relying on using everyone else to win, so having that in the bag gave him a pretty big lead.

Gary was going over the events from breakfast in his mind, flapping his arms at the memory.

Man, that was fun. Why did pretending to be in a relationship with Avocato give him such a _ thrill _? 

Kissing him, even if he wouldn’t kiss back, it felt so natural. So _ right _. 

_ ‘Probably because you’ve imagined it so much _,’ provided a voice in his head. He conceded the point that, sure, maybe he spent a while fantasizing about kissing Avocato. Maybe this felt like a dream come true. Maybe Quinn had said “Wait, you two aren’t dating?” when he had asked her to roll with whatever he said. 

Maybe he had feelings for Avocato, but really, really, was it that big of a deal? Did it really matter? Well, yes. Because he was going to make 200 credits by just… rolling with his instincts. 

Kissing Avocato, calling him pet names, being affectionate, it all felt more natural than breathing to him. 

This would be the only good that ever came of it, and maybe, he thought, if he got all of his feelings out in one week, he’d just… get over them!

“Hey, son.”

Gary looked up, eyes sparkling. “Hey, dad! What’s up?”

John leaned up against the wall next to him. 

“So… I hate to bring down the vibe but… I do need to ask you something kinda serious.”

Gary frowned. “What is it?”

“It’s about… what happened to you. After I died.”

Gary wrung his hands together, tugging at his sleeves. “...Grandma died before the funeral. So Mom took custody of me. It’s no big deal.”

John frowned. “Gary, that’s not _ not _ a big deal. I know what she was like- that couldn’t have been easy for you…”

Gary grabbed the fabric of his pants by the fistful. “...Okay. It wasn’t… good. After you left. Or… After she left.”

John glared. “After she _ what? _”

“Hah! Yeah! Messed up, right? A year after you left, so did she!”

“Who took care of you…?”

“Me! I took care of myself! I- I lived in the treehouse. Nobody knew she was gone until _ six months later _because CPS got called after the neighbors caught me digging through their trash for food!”

John covered his mouth and wrapped an arm around Gary as tears pooled in the corners of his eyes. Gary held him close, rambling watery words into the collar of his jacket.

“I ran away from every foster family- they refused to call me by my actual name. Mom at least did that, but nobody else would. It made me-”

He cried harder, and John rubbed circles into his son’s back. “I’m so sorry, Gary… You didn’t deserve that. You deserved me _ there _. I never should have left…”

“No,” he sobbed, “No, don’t say that. Don’t you dare blame yourself for any of it. You- you just did what you had to. If it hadn’t happened like this, I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t be _ me _ today. I wouldn’t have this family. It was hard, but I wouldn’t change it. I just…”

He held his dad, and John held him. 

“I missed you _ so much _…”

John picked him up off the ground and they laughed through both of their tears. “I’m so _ proud _ of you, Gary. I need you to know that. You’re every bit the fantastic man I knew you’d grow up to be.”

Gary nodded. “Even though I’m a wanted criminal that’s in love with an ex-bounty hunter?”

“Hey, it runs in the family! You think I didn’t get into any trouble before I joined the infinity guard?

“I got sent to prison for five years,” Gary laugh/cried. 

“And are you happy with where you are?”

Gary thought about Avocato, and Little Cato, and Quinn and Ash and Fox and Clarence. About the family he had built for himself. He nodded.

“More than I ever thought I’d be.”

John smoothed his hair back. “Then I couldn’t be more proud.”

Gary just cried harder, smiling through it.

Once he calmed down, John patted his back and gave him a Look. “By the way, you sure can pick em.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Avocato! He’s great! Reminds me of your mom before she went off the deep end.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“If you’re anything like me? Sure!”

Gary laughed, closing his eyes and resting his head on John’s chest. 

“M… I really love him.”

“Yeah,” John smiled. “I can tell.”

Gary grinned. “That’s good. I hope he can too.”

-

Little Cato, quite frankly, thought the entire situation was hilarious. 

He had spent a lot of time with his new grandpa, since he got back, and he knew the man well enough to know he wasn’t as dense as he made himself out to be. It was a defense mechanism of sorts. Knowing is half the battle, after all. 

“So you know about the bet?”

“Gary may be older than when I raised him, but he’s still my kid. He would absolutely do something like this, I know him well enough to see that.”

“So you’re just egging them on for fun?” Little Cato smiled. John gave him a thumbs up.

“If they’ve been like this the entire time they’ve known each other, someone _ has _ to give them a little push. What kind of father would I be if I didn’t at least do _ some _ meddling?”

Little Cato laughed and slapped his knee. “Oh, that’s rich. It’s about time they realized how they felt, anyway. You’re sure they’ll be done with all this by the time the week’s up?”

“Well, crap, they’d better be or I’ll have to step up my game!”

\- 

Gary was leaning on Avocato’s doorframe, smirking, when Avocato got there to go to bed for the night. Avocato rolled his eyes with a lazy smile. “What’s up?”

“Oh, just wondering what I should spend my 200 credits on. Any suggestions?”

“C’mon, Gary, don’t be a jerk.”

“I’m not! I’m asking if you want me to get us a honeymoon gift! Do you like chocolate? Or would you prefer roses?”

Avocato laughed, pushing past him. Gary grabbed his wrist and Avocato paused.

Gary just stared at him for a moment, before sliding his hand up Avocato’s arm, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, just shy of his lips.

“G’night.”

And Gary turned and left, his footsteps thundering down the hall. 

Once he rounded the corner, approaching his own room, sure he was out of anyone’s range of vision, he jumped up and smacked the doorframe, collapsing into his bed. 

Another six days of this. He could live with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will pepper in some trans gary real...... and some "hey, whatever happened to avocato's parents? dont we wonder about them?"  
i hope yall like this! please leave a comment if you wanna see more of my writing here!


	3. Day 2

Waking up the next day, Avocato was ready. He mentally prepared himself to face anything Gary had to throw at him with grace and indifference. 

He could handle it. He could handle anything. He was a  _ general,  _ a  _ bounty hunter _ , a warrior. He could do anything he set his mind to!

Except, apparently, keep a straight face while Gary pulled him close and kissed his cheek, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Every time Gary wrapped an arm around him, pressed his face into Avocato’s cheek, spoke softly so only he could hear…

Given, usually it was stuff like, “Pass the cheese,” and “Weren’t those cinnamon toast crunch commercials from the early 2000’s messed up?” and the occasional smug whisper of  _ “I’m winning.” _

But, still, Avocato would feel the heat flood into his face and he would half-heartedly shove Gary off of him, unable to keep a crooked smile off his face. It was impossible. 

The only thing harder was not kissing back. God, how he wanted to kiss back, but he knew that would be as good as throwing the entire bet. And, also, there was the fact that Gary would know how he felt, which, would be a problem.

The further he got into this, the worse he felt. Every gentle touch and kiss and nickname all felt good, but there was this sense of shame in the back of his stomach that refused to go away, burning hotter with every passing second.

It was a voice that said  _ you’re using this bet to get a kind of attention Gary would never normally give to you, _ and  _ if he found out how you felt he’d be grossed out by you _ , and he hated it, but couldn’t ignore it. It was what kept him looking down at his lap while Gary intertwined their fingers and called him  _ my darling.  _

(Avocato never saw how Gary looked at him when he would glace away and avoid eye contact, but everyone else did. Everyone else saw the lovestruck stare he was giving his ‘husband’.)

-

“Honestly? I don’t think they’re faking. I think  _ we’re _ the ones being punked,” Little Cato said, gesturing with his paws.

“Please,” Quinn waved a hand dismissively. “ _ Neither _ one of them is smart enough to do that. Well, Avocato could be, but not when it’s something involving Gary. I swear, the closer the two of them are together, it’s like Avocato gives all his IQ points over to Gary. It’s  _ scary _ . ”

Little Cato laughed, laying backwards across the couch. “Yeah, you’re right. I think everyone gets like that around Gary, though. Well, everyone but me.”

“Gary gave you half of what’s left of his brain when he adopted you,” Quinn joked, fluffing his hair up. “And at the end of the week, when he inevitably has to stage a fake breakup, he’s gonna lose the other half in the divorce.”

“Don’t say that around Ash, she’ll want in on the bounty.”

“HA! Like I wasn’t listening the whole time!” 

“ _ Oh, my God _ ,” Little Cato grabbed his chest and jumped back as Ash tumbled out of the upper vents, landing face-down on the floor in front of him. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“There are no gods here, silly! Just me and all this vent dust!”

“Gross!” he whined while she shook the dust into the air and onto him. 

Once they calmed down, she sprawled across his lap, kicking her legs back and forth. “So what are we talking about?”

“Weren’t you just eavesdropping on us?” Quinn gave her a look. She rolled onto her back, humming a strange little tune.

“Maaaaybe, but I already forgot what you were saying. Must’ve gotten knocked out of me in the landing.”

“Sure it did, kid. Anyway, we’re discussing if Gary is gonna have any brains left before the end of the week.”

“Oh! Are we killing him?”

“Not this time,” Quinn laughed into her water bottle. 

“I don’t get it. What happens at the end of this week?”

Everyone stared blankly at her. “Cuz- y’know? The bet?”

Ash blinked. “There’s a bet?”

“Yeah, to see how long John goes without figuring out they aren’t dating.”

“...I’m lost here. Are they not in love? They’re both… Huh?”

Quinn and Little Cato sighed. Quinn said, “It’s messy.” at the same time Little Cato said, “They’re both repressed.”

Ash nodded, understanding. 

“So what are the side bets? There’s always side bets.”

“ _ Oh, my child, I thought nobody would ever ask! _ ” Clarence announced as he rolled a cart into the room, setting up shop. “Place your bets here and now, and remember, house keeps 25% of all winnings!”

Little Cato smacked down a bill. “45 credits that Avocato wins!”

Everyone looked at him, disbelieving. Hey, just because  _ he _ knew Avocato had already lost doesn’t mean everyone else does.

The rest of the crew lined up, placing their bets. 

“Hey, has anyone seen- wait, what the crap is all this?” Gary said, sticking his head in the room. As soon as the word  _ hey _ left his lips, Clarence had flipped the sign on his cart around.

“I’m running a lemonade stand, primate, try to keep up.”

Everyone stared, like there was no possible way Gary would fall for that. Gary scrunched his face up in disgust.

“Gross. I don’t want your greasy lemonades. Have you seen Avocato? I haven’t heard from him since breakfast.”

“He’s in his room,” Little Cato supplied. 

“Thanks, spidercat.”

“No prob, thunder bandit!”

Gary turned the corner, and the betting resumed.

He walked further down the hall towards Avocato’s room, knocking quickly on the door. 

“Hang on,” Avocato’s voice rang out from behind the door. A few seconds later, it opened, revealing a bleary and sleep ruffled Avocato. “What’s up?”

“Oh, crap, I didn’t mean to wake you up. You can go back to bed if you want-”

“Nah, I’m all good. I was gonna get up soon anyway.”

“Right, cool. It’s- uh… it’s Thursday. Are we still on?”

A moment passed before recognition flashed behind Avocato’s eyes. “Movie night, yeah.”

“My room or yours?”

“We took my room last week, ‘s your turn now.”

“Right, cool, cool, cool, you get the food and I pick the movie, we meet at my place in 10?”

“Works for me.”

Gary leaned in, kissing him on the lips maybe a bit longer than necessary. 

He didn’t expect him to kiss back. He didn’t expect that tiny bit of pressure against him, the pulse of affection through his veins. He let out a small, involuntary gasp and Avocato pulled back like he’d been shocked. 

“I-. I’m gonna… Get food,” Avocato pushed past him, tail flicking fast.

Gary touched his lips in awe. “You do that…” 

-

It was because he was tired- he had his guard down. That’s all. Gary didnt even notice, he was thinking about movies, surely. It’s  _ fine _ , it’s fine. 

Everything.

_ Is _ .

** _Fine_ ** .

He microwaved their dinners, and it was fine. 

They’d been doing this since Avocato first got on board the ship. Every Thursday was movie night. Cheesy Earth movies, mostly, that Gary loved to rip apart. They’d eat dinner and watch a movie, just the two of them. If anyone else wanted to watch a movie with them, they had to pick a different time. This was  _ their _ movie time. 

(“What do you mean it’s not a date? Did I miss something here?” Quinn had asked incredulously when he first said it. 

“I  _ mean _ that just because we eat dinner and watch a movie-”

“Listen, I’m not trying to pry, but last week I woke up to find him wearing one of your shirts-”

“He was tired and didn’t want to get up! What, was I just supposed to let him sleep in my bed in his regular clothes?”

“Why does him-  _ they were your regular clothes anyway! _ ”

Avocato rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It’s a guy thing, I guess.”

“I don’t know much about  _ guy things _ , but if that’s what you need to tell yourself, sure.”)

He walked back through the hallways of the skip, rounding a corner.

“...Hey.”

John looked up from staring out the window, snapping back to himself and giving a slight wave towards Avocato.

“Date night?” He gave a half smile, nodding towards the two plates he was balancing. Avocato just shrugged.

“Something like that. You alright, man?”

John shrugged. “Just adjusting, I guess. It’s… Weird. Seeing Gary so grown up. It’s like he was just a kid only yesterday… Well, for me it was last week. Talk about 13 going on 30, right?” He gave a laugh, crossing his arms. His smile didn’t meet his eyes. Avocato frowned.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“...Not yet. Thanks for the offer, though. I think it’s something I need to sort out in my own head for right now,” he tapped his temple with that same distant smile. 

“...If you’re sure. You know where to find me if you need me.”

John nodded, and Avocato passed him, finding himself in front of Gary’s door. He knocked with the front of his foot, the doors opening instantly.

Gary was laying stomach down on his bed, flipping through all the movies he had.

“Hey, did we ever actually watch Lilo and Stitch?”

“Four times,” Avocato smiled, setting their food down on the bed after he sat down. “But it’s a good one. I wouldn’t mind it again.”

“Nah, I want something new tonight. Uh… I usually don’t go for this kinda thing, but how about a romcom?” 

Avocato shrugged. “It’s your week, and it’s not like you’ll stay awake through it anyway.”

“ _ It’s not like you’ll stay awake through it anyway, _ ” Gary said in a mocking voice, sticking his tongue out at Avocato. “It’s not my fault you’re the perfect pillow.”

Gary said things like that all the time, but for some reason, Avocato couldn’t shake it, like an ember smoking away in his chest, just waiting to catch the rest of him on fire.

“It’s also not my fault you never wake me up when I fall asleep!”

Avocato nudged him with his elbow. “That one’s on you. You never get enough sleep as it is, I’m not contributing to that mess.”

“Keep that up and I’ll start thinking you really do love me, sweetheart,” Gary smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek without looking up from the movie list. Avocato buried his face in the blankets to hide his smile.

“Mmmf,” he so eloquently said. Gary snapped his fingers.

“I’ve got it.”

“What’s our movie for tonight?”

Gary put on his  _ I’m an expert on every movie ever _ face, rubbing his hands together. “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, a classic from 2018. No fantasy or sci-fi elements, but it’s… just watch,” Gary wiggled in place, settling into the bed, pressing himself against Avocato as the lights turned off.

“Damn, no spoilers? That says a lot coming from you.”

“Shh,” Gary said. “It’s starting.”

-

Gary was passed out by the second act of the film. He hardly touched his food, which made Avocato frown as he put the plates on the floor, to be handled later. He looked at Gary as he slept, illuminated by the lighting of the movie.

He was really pretty. Soft cheeks, thick eyelashes… all around soft, really, except the heavy bags under his eyes. He was so, so tired, all the time, and this was the one day a week that Avocato knew he was getting good sleep.

Seeing Gary while he was asleep was something most people never got a chance to do. He was always moving, always pulling people in, but when he slept, he just looked… peaceful. His hair slowly getting messier, mumbling sleepy nonsense in his dreams.

Avocato paused the movie, pushing the screen back and nudged Gary back a bit, tucking him under the piles of blankets all over the bed.

Another reason he was so fond of these nights was because Gary never asked questions when he woke up to Avocato in his bed, arms around him, fingers tangled in his soft hair…

Avocato had trouble sleeping too, plagued by nightmares. Sleeping next to Gary warded them off, gave him a peace he didn’t usually get on his own. 

Now…

He looked at Gary’s sleeping face, cheek squished against his shoulder, drooling on his shirt… 

And he kissed his cheek.

“G’night, Gary.”

Gary hummed, too deep in sleep to hear him.

Same as every week.

**Author's Note:**

> make sure to comment if you want more!!!! yeehaw


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